Freeze (The Jewel Project #4)

6.2|| The slip

Jerry couldn't remember ever being this nervous in his life. He'd packed for missions before, stressed himself over forgetting things, over being late, which was a definite possibility since none of his brothers had come home yet. But this was different. Maybe it was because Tina sat next to him on the couch, wearing light blue jeans and an oversized pullover, her hair tied in a ponytail. And at that moment, as he watched her in the corner of his eye, he was a bit unnerved.

Tina didn't usually wear jeans, or boots, or pullovers. She wore slacks and shirts and kitten heels. She wore her hair in a bun or a chignon. This Tina looked so much younger, so much more vulnerable. And it amplified his nerves about her coming with them a thousand times over. Why did the agency have to drag her into this? Why did she accept to join it in the first place? And why did he have the impression that he was supposed to say something to comfort or encourage her?

There was nothing to say. Without Sam, he was scared out of his mind, too. As much as he tried to convince himself that they'd see each other long before they'd come anywhere near the jewel, Kyle's leadership made him itchy. And not because his older brother wasn't good at it, but because he was a hothead, to put it mildly.

Tina took in a sharp breath.

"Are you alright?" he asked, unexpectedly grateful for the distraction.

She just nodded, and it didn't convince him in the least. Fortunately, the sound of a roaring engine announced that at least one of his brothers was home. He stood just as the door opened and Kyle and Kay walked in.

"You guys ready?" he asked, eying the rucksacks already placed by the door.

"Naturally. Jimmy, Jessie and Billy?"

"They're on their way," Kay answered.

"Good."

Awkward silence filled the room. Kyle leaned over to Kay to whisper something and she giggled. Jerry shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Tina said nothing, continuing to stare into the carpet and bounce her knees.

Kay whispered something back to Kyle and he spun to hide her from sight. Jerry tensed and looked away, hoping they weren't actually kissing as if no one was there. But Kay laughed again, so he guessed her mouth was free.

"You two are being rude," he pointed out.

"Why?" Kyle asked over his shoulder. "You'd rather we laughed at you to your face?"

Jerry swelled with indignation, but it only had Kyle and Kay in stitches. "That's not nice."

"He's just kidding, Jerry," Kay assured him. "We were just finishing a conversation we had in the car and... well, it's better that you don't know."

"Can we just leave?" he asked, trying not to sound huffy.

Kyle wasn't fooled and smirked at him, but fortunately took his leader role seriously and didn't start mocking him. "We can take the luggage out if you'd like. Jimmy and Jessie should be in any second now."

"Yes, let's do that. I hate wasting time." Jerry turned to Tina. "Are you ready?"

She shook her head, but stood. The way her knees trembled couldn't be good.

"It's going to be okay, Tina, don't be nervous," Kyle said. "You'll see it's mostly searching for stuff rather than chasing and shooting."

Jerry cringed, expecting Kyle to continue with his usual 'that only happens in the last part of the mission' or something similarly amusing to him. Surprisingly, he didn't, just continued smiling pleasantly, though Jerry could see he was faking it.